Key TakeawaysOver 115 million illicit fentanyl pills were seized last year, marking a 2,300-fold increase since 2017.Most fentanyl seizures occurred in the Western U.S., with significant increases in the Midwest.Fentanyl-containing pills are often disguised as other medications, increasing overdose risks for those seeking prescription drugs from non-certified sources.

Key Takeaways

Over 115 million illicit fentanyl pills were seized last year, marking a 2,300-fold increase since 2017.Most fentanyl seizures occurred in the Western U.S., with significant increases in the Midwest.Fentanyl-containing pills are often disguised as other medications, increasing overdose risks for those seeking prescription drugs from non-certified sources.

Aside from the dramatic increase in fentanyl seizures, researchers found that most of these seizures occurred in the West, but there was also a sizable increase in the Midwest.

The key concern about fentanyl in pill form is that it’s often disguised as other medications, according toJoseph Palamar, PhD, MPH, a co-author of the study and an associate professor of population health at NYU-Langone Health.

“I’ve been studying drug trends for over 20 years since I was a party person myself… I learned pretty quickly that people never know what they’re getting,” Palamar told Verywell.

Someone might get a fake pill that contains fentanyl when they’re purchasing what they think is Xanax orAdderallfrom places other than a certified pharmacy. Those who are seeking out prescription medications such asoxycodoneor benzodiazepines are also at high risk.

Nora Volkow, MD, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, said that this research is vital when it comes to identifying the scale of the drug’s prevalence and who’s the most at risk.

“The volume of the seizures that are reported in this paper is so gigantic that you can see they must be overflowing the market. And when you look at the number of people that died from overdoses of fentanyl, then you come to realize that a lot of it is not being seized, that a lot of it is passed on undetected, and it’s making people vulnerable,” Volkow told Verywell.

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Palamar said fentanyl poisonings are often underreported, and surveys don’t typically include certain populations, such as those facing homelessness.

“It just keeps shifting,” Palamar said. “Every time you think nothing could get worse than this, a month later, you hear about a new trend.”

Daliah Heller, PhD, MPH, the vice president of drug use initiatives at public health nonprofit Vital Strategies, said law enforcement data can help with prevention and treatment efforts, but it has its limits.

“We never know whether we’re looking at a sample that is actually representative of what’s happening in the drug supply, or whether it’s simply an artifact of more effective law enforcement activity and efforts to seize or interdict drug markets,” Heller told Verywell.

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Preventing Fentanyl Overdose

Experts say a multitude of approaches is required to tackle the volume of fentanyl that is circulating in the U.S. drug supply.

Many states haveexpanded harm reduction efforts, such as openingsafe injection sitesand offering free Narcan (naloxone), a nasal spray that can quickly reverse an opioidoverdose.

Heller said that teaching peoplehow to use Narcanand making fentanyl test strips more accessible is also key.

“Another version of drug checking is FTIR [Fourier Transform InfraRed spectroscopy] machines in community locations, and even mobilizing labs to do mass spectrometry analysis of drug residue to understand what’s in the drug supply, and then getting that information rapidly back out to the community,” Heller said.

Palamar added that while harm reduction efforts are highly valuable, prevention needs to be a bigger part of the puzzle.

“With all the harm reduction focus and no talk about prevention, I call it death reduction at this point,” he said, adding that health authorities should also dedicate more resources to education efforts and treatment foropioid use disorder.

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What This Means For YouThe alarming rise in fentanyl availability highlights the importance of obtaining prescription medications from legitimate pharmacies. Stay informed about harm reduction tools like Narcan and fentanyl test strips to protect yourself and others from potential overdose or fentanyl poisoning.

What This Means For You

The alarming rise in fentanyl availability highlights the importance of obtaining prescription medications from legitimate pharmacies. Stay informed about harm reduction tools like Narcan and fentanyl test strips to protect yourself and others from potential overdose or fentanyl poisoning.

2 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Palamar JJ, Fitzgerald N, Carr TH, Cottler LB, Ciccarone D.National and regional trends in fentanyl seizures in the United States, 2017-2023.Int J Drug Policy. Published online May 3, 2024. doi:10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104417Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Provisional drug overdose death counts.

2 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Palamar JJ, Fitzgerald N, Carr TH, Cottler LB, Ciccarone D.National and regional trends in fentanyl seizures in the United States, 2017-2023.Int J Drug Policy. Published online May 3, 2024. doi:10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104417Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Provisional drug overdose death counts.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Palamar JJ, Fitzgerald N, Carr TH, Cottler LB, Ciccarone D.National and regional trends in fentanyl seizures in the United States, 2017-2023.Int J Drug Policy. Published online May 3, 2024. doi:10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104417Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Provisional drug overdose death counts.

Palamar JJ, Fitzgerald N, Carr TH, Cottler LB, Ciccarone D.National and regional trends in fentanyl seizures in the United States, 2017-2023.Int J Drug Policy. Published online May 3, 2024. doi:10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104417

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Provisional drug overdose death counts.

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